Perth music luminaries, James Baker (Hoodoo Gurus, Beasts of Bourbon, Scientists, Victims, Dubrovniks) and Dom Mariani (The Stems, DM3, Datura4) have come together to release single under the moniker The James Baker Beat.

"Friday Night Friend" and "She Said (Bad Weekend)", out now and both penned by James and Dom are classic garage punk and pop fare which recall the rock and roll sounds and tradition of both the early Scientists and Stems.

The release of the single coincides with the second of two benefit shows  at Lyrics Undergrouind in Perth tonight to assist James in his fight with liver cancer.

From one of the most influential punk anthems (The Victims – "Television Addict") ; to the pre-swamp pop n’roll leanings (The Scientists – "Frantic Romantic"/"Last Night") ; to the tall-tale future of the term Australian Super Group (The Beasts of Bourbon – "The Axemans Jazz") to the Hoodoo Gurus and The Dubrovniks, James Baker has no peers when it comes to a rock n roll curriculum vitae.

Kim Salmon's new outfit Smoked Salmon have announced a national tour to promote the forthcoming self-titled debut album, which is out February 28 on Cheersquad Records and Tapes.

The tour in March and April will take in Perth, Fremantle, Margaret River, Castlemaine, Canberra, Wollongong, Sydney, Newcastle, Geelong, Brisbane, Gold coast, Bangalow and Adelaide before finishing back in Melbourne.

Homegrown supergroup The Beasts will play two special performances next month to celebrate their latest full-length studio release, “Ultimo” - with the prospect of more to come if drummer James Baker’s health holds up.

Melbourne (The Corner Hotel, February 21) and Sydney (Manning Bar, February 22) are the lucky cities and both gigs are expected to sell out. If you caught The Beasts last year on their national sold-out “Alive" tour you’ll know why.

The Beasts are surviving Beasts of Bourbon members James Baker, Tex Perkins, Kim Salmon, Boris Sujdovic and Charlie Owen.

The Beasts
Corner Hotel, VIC
- Feb 21
Tickets
Manning Bar, NSW
- Feb 22
Tickets

Urban and western troubadour John Kennedy kicks off his Australian run to promote “Live At The Marrickville Bowl” (I-94 Bar Records) this weekend.

Now living in Spain, Kennedy will play band gigs with his all-star The New Originals and solo/duo shows, hitting New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland.

First cab off the rank is an in-store thjis Saturday afternoon at Egg Records in Newtown - fittingly, just off King Street, which is a location Kennedy has immortalised in "The King of King Street". Most of The New Originals will join him. Full dates and ticket links after the fold. 

They could have called it the Back By Popular Demand Tour: The Stems made a triumphant return to the live stage in August and September 2024, celebrating their 40th Anniversary with a series of sold-out shows across Australia and Europe and they're back home to do it again in 2025.

The band - featuring original members Dom Mariani, Julian Matthews, and Dave Shaw, along with acclaimed guitarist Ashley Naylor (Even/Paul Kelly/The Church) - are set to hit the road once more with a limited series of shows along the east coast of Australia in April. .

Following the release of their Top 20 single "Falling From The Sky" and live album "The Stems - Official Live Recording" (Cheersquad Records & Tapes), fans can expect to hear some new music from the band in the lead up to their 2025 tour. In the meantime, don't miss out on snapping up tickets for the upcoming shows.

THE STEMS - EAST COAST AUSTRALIAN TOUR APRIL 2025
WEDNESDAY APRIL 23
NORTHCOTE SOCIAL CLUB, Melbourne VIC

THURSDAY APRIL 24
CROWBAR, Sydney NSW

FRIDAY APRIL 25
GUM BALL FESTIVAL, Hunter Valley NSW

SATURDAY APRIL 26
OLD MUSEUM, Brisbane QLD

*Tickets available from the venues or via www.lunalivepresents.com

It’s been 30 years since North Carolina indie-rockers Superchunk released their classic fourth album, "Foolish", and they're bringing it and the rest of their bulging back catalogue Down Under.

Produced by Brian Paulson (Slint, Beck, Wilco, Dinosaur Jr) and mixed by the legendary Steve Albini, it was just one of the band’s many releases that resonated with musicians, critics and music lovers alike, and became one of Merge Records’ biggest releases.

Written following the break-up of Mac McCaughan (guitar and vocals) and Laura Ballance (bass and vocals) who both remained in the band and co-founded Merge, its powerful and catchy melodies and raw emotion still make "Foolish" stand out as one of the band’s best albums.